Sunday Gospel Reflection
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Emmanuel: God is with us!
Marj Baynosa
Ministry of Lectors and Commentators
The scripture passages for the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ( Year B ) tell us that God desires life and goodness for us, not death and destruction, if we will allow Him to rescue us.
The First Reading (Wis 1:13-15; 2:23-24) tells us that God fashioned all things that they might have being, that He made us in His own image, and that He desires life for us. God cares for our being. We might never know or understand why we suffer, but God wishes us to have life and to have it abundantly.
The Second Reading (2 Cor 8:7, 9, 13-15) tells us that God wants abundance for all of us. Jesus Christ, in his gracious act, became poor for our sake so that we might become rich. We are called to a life of abundance with him and are exhorted to create equality by being generous and gracious in helping others become abundant, too. We are not alone. We must remember that there are people around us that we have to reach out to and care for as much as we care for and love ourselves.
The Gospel from St. Mark (Mk 5:21-43 or 5:21-24, 35b-43) tells the story of Jairus’ 12-year-old daughter being brought to life and the healing of an unnamed woman who had been suffering for 12 years from hemorrhage. We can see the stark contrast between the two figures who sought Jesus’ help. One was a man, properly identified (“One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus….”). The other was a nameless woman. The man was considered an important person in the Jewish community, and in this story, a synagogue official no less. The woman was a person who lost everything, even her identity, because of the illness that had separated her from everyone. Being considered unclean and all certainly caused her misery! But what did Jairus and the unnamed woman have in common? Both believed. Both had faith. The faith that enabled them to seek Jesus’ help in their time of need.
What I find particularly striking about the story of the nameless woman is that she could have remained anonymous to all, receiving healing without the community knowing about it. But Jesus just had to announce it to everyone, asking who touched him even though a large crowd had been pressing upon him. Jesus just had to tell everyone what a model of faith that unnamed woman was. I can only imagine how grateful that woman would have been for being healed in silence. Jesus did not need to talk to her. But Jesus had other plans. Jesus addressed her directly and declared her saved because of her faith. After more than a decade of suffering and isolation, imagine how life changed for the better for this woman.
On the other hand, in the story of Jairus’ daughter, what struck me particularly was the last verse, “He…said that she should be given something to eat.” When the child arose, everyone must have been so happy and glad. Everyone must have been celebrating in gratitude. But aside from Jesus telling everyone to keep to themselves the miracle he just did, he asked those inside the room (most likely the child’s parents) to give her something to eat. It was a very simple instruction, but it made me reflect on how God sees everything, how He sees our suffering, how He cares for our being. He knew the child must have been hungry, and He did not forget about her need.
God does not leave anyone. He does not forget anyone. God is right by our side, guiding us toward hope and the healing power of love. May we always remember that God created us because of love, that He sustains us by His love, and that we will forever be bonded with Him in mutual love. God loves us, and He will be with us “always, even to the end of age.” As Jesus had told Jairus, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.”
Let us not be afraid, for Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit are always with us.
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Artwork:
Voskreshenie docheri Iaira (Resurrection of Jairus’ Daughter)
Vasiliy Polenov
1871
